Publication year: 2011
Source: Social Science & Medicine, In Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available online 23 May 2011
Yvonne, Bombard , Julia, Abelson , Dorina, Simeonov , Francois-Pierre, Gauvin
Despite a growing consensus that ethical and social values should be addressed in health technology assessment (HTA) processes, there exist a variety of methods for doing so. There is growing interest in involving citizens in policy development to ensure that decisions are legitimate, and reflect the broad social values of the public. We sought to bring these issues together by employing a participatory approach to elicit ethical and social values in HTA. Our primary objective was to elicit a set of ethical and social values from citizens that could be used to guide Ontario’s HTA evidentiary review and appraisal process….
Highlights: ► A 14-person Citizen’s Reference Panel on Health Technologies was established to provide input to the Ontario Health Technology Advisory (HTA) Committee in developing its recommendations. ► We sought to elicit a set of ethical and social values from citizens that could be used to guide Ontario’s HTA evidentiary review and appraisal process. ► Panel members progressed towards the identification of a set of core values – universal access, choice and quality care. ► These should be considered in the evaluation of HTA and ensuing recommendations. ► Sustained and deliberative methods, like a citizens’ panel, offer a promising approach for eliciting ethical and social values into HTA.